Oxford American

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Dec 1, 1999

Panelists: Diana LaGuardia, art director, House & Garden, and Roger Toll, executive vice president and editorial director of the Manhattan-based media consulting firm Roger Black Inc.

LaGuardia

COVER DESIGN

The b&w photo is bold and graphic. Abstraction via a tight crop pushes the idea of literary content. Typography and full-bleed image lend a clean, modern feel. Logo is more confident. Control in use of color adds to feel of more discriminating taste.

TYPOGRAPHY/GRAPHICS

Every effort made to have illustration and photos reflect tone of various literary voices. Control in typography and layout helps pull the front of book together against nonslick advertising. The feature openers are signature Robert Priest.

ACCESSIBILITY

Although these seem to be committed readers, the redesign still uses pull-quotes effectively. Modest boxes on text pages add a sense of organization. Breaks in copy, color on first lines rather than drop caps, all stylishly give the reader means of access.

COMMENTS

Sensitive updating of characterful title. All visuals better nuanced and more sensitive. Less clutter: The cover image, the logo and coverlines in particular have effectively, pared down the message, creating a more intelligent image.

Toll

COVER DESIGN

A dramatic makeover that begins with a huge change in the logo, from ho-hum to in-your-face. Cover type is more succinct and very post-modern in its play of typography. Cover photography is far more impactful.

TYPOGRAPHY/GRAPHICS

A drastic change in the color pallet, in keeping with the general post-modern feel. Photography, graphics and illustrations much improved throughout. Wonderfully graphic ways of offsetting different type styles in call-outs and caps, creating fun, interesting elements.

ACCESSIBILITY

A much-improved use of color throughout makes the title more inviting, friendly. Bolder typography and playful use of type create a stronger graphic presence. But while these provide better points of entry, the overly small and light body copy pushes the reader away.

COMMENTS

This design is a big improvement, but sometimes it's too loud, too hip, with too many elements from Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone for a Southern magazine of letters, perhaps like a beautifully dressed woman wearing the wrong color lipstick.